Henrika: A Tale of Two Tamers
Chapter 7
So there was Henry, riding his bike to Rika's house with Terriermon flopped over his head. Henry had managed to free Terriermon from Suzie's clutches.
"Thanks for taking me along Henry. 'Doctor' is the only game that's more painful than 'Pwincess Pwetty Pants'."
"Hey, she did give you a clean bill of health!"
Eventually, the duo made it to Rika's. Henry rang the doorbell and after a few minutes of waiting, Rika opened the door a crack to see whom it was.
"I'd almost given up hope of you coming," said Rika. "I do have other things I could be doing you know."
"I know I'm a little late, but I had to save Terriermon from a fate worse than 'Pwetty Pants'."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Never mind. It would take too long to explain and you wanted to talk about something else."
Rika opened the door all the way and let them in. From the look of it, nobody else was home. She actually led them out to the backyard before beginning to speak.
"Anyway, like I was saying over the phone, I'm… sorry about the other day. I know you had your reasons for not wanting us to destroy Endigomon."
"Yeah, I'd say being my twin brother is a pretty good reason not to destroy him!" replied Terriermon.
"Terriermon!" scolded Henry.
"What?" questioned Terriermon.
"Seriously though Rika, I appreciate the apology but it wasn't really necessary. I understand."
"No, actually it is necessary," Rika began to say. "You see…"
Rika stopped in the middle of her sentence and looked down at Terriermon.
"What? Do I have something in my teeth?"
"If you don't mind Bunny-dog," said Rika, "I'd like to talk to Henry alone."
Terriermon looked up at Henry. Henry nodded and Terriermon wandered off to the side of the house, where he couldn't see or hear them.
"Alright, it's just you and me now," said Henry to Rika. "So what is it that you can't say in front of my partner? Is this about digivolving again?"
"No, this has nothing to do with digivolving!" snapped Rika, who then realised the tone of her voice and settled down. "This is about you."
"Me?"
"Yes. Or to be more precise, the way I've treated you. In the short time we've known each other, I haven't exactly been the nicest person to you."
"Well, you'll get no argument from me on that."
"And yet, you've always managed to tolerate me. In fact, you've even been kind to me, bringing me back my lost card. Look, the point I'm trying to get at here is that… you're an okay guy, if you know what I mean. That is… I like you well enough to be a friend. A good friend. Of course, we don't have to go blabbing it to the world, understand?"
Henry understood. It was all starting to make sense to him. Rika was beginning to warm up to him, yet she was concerned about her image. She didn't want to appear soft in front of anyone. No wonder she only wanted to speak to him alone.
"My lips are sealed," Henry said. "And by the way… you're an 'okay' girl, if you know what I mean."
Rika actually managed to smile at that. However, it was to be a short-lived smile because at that moment, the pond in Rika's backyard began to form a whirlpool. Strange fog began blowing out of that whirlpool, and before either of them knew what was happening, a Digital Field was upon them.
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Meanwhile, over at Hypnos…
"Sir, the anomaly has reappeared!"
"Then this is it! Both of you, into the helicopter now! If that field disappears before we get there, we'll have missed our one chance!"
Riley and Tally jumped down from their stations and quickly followed Yamaki to the chopper pad.
'So those data trashes think they can take over our world, do they?' thought Yamaki. 'Well not if I have anything to say about it! Hypnos is going to teach them a lesson they won't soon forget!'
TO BE CONTINUED
